4. Leah's Story

(A few months after the Volturi Winter Confrontation)

"Are you sure this is what you want," Jacob asked Leah.

He and Leah were walking the woods not far from the Cullen's home with Renesmee walking and bouncing a few yards ahead of them. Bella and Edward had given him permission as it gave them some alone time back at their meadow.

Leah took the time to go with the pair since she had wanted to talk to Jacob all day but wanted to do so when none of the others around, Renesmee was the exception since Jacob could not pull himself away from her.

Being around imprinted people sucked. Leah could still remember being connected to the Sam pack mind and hearing or even being around Sam and Emily, Jared and Kim, and Paul and Rachel.

At least now it had gotten easier now that she was no longer connected to her ex.

And despite Jacob being happy all the time, being around him or Quil wasn't so bad since none of them harbored romantic feelings toward their imprints. Both considered themselves as big brothers to Renesmee and Claire so that helped.

Leah nodded, "I'm sure Jacob. You've known I wanted to quit since I first became a wolf."

"Yeah sure, I'm just a little surprised you waited this long."

Leah smiled and nodded. It had been months since their confrontation with the Volturi and things were finally considered normal to before Sam's pack, with Jake with them at the time, had taken out the leech with the dreads.

"Yeah well someone's got to keep an eye on my brother and call you out on your crap."

Jacob smiled back. Ever since Leah had joined his pack, it had been surprisingly easy to have her around. Since she left Sam's pack, Leah had become someone different, someone likable, someone he could depend on.

She had even come to tolerate the Cullen's. At the beginning she had been uncomfortable and even hostile toward the merger between the Cullen's and the Quileute's but the more time she spent with them, since it had become Jacob's new permanent residence, even going as far as to sleeping on the couch in the cottage or sleeping outside the cottage in wolf form, the more comfortable she was getting, even to the point of having actual conversations with Carlisle and some of the others.

The person she got close to most, which surprised everyone, was Rosalie since they shared the bond of what it was like for their genetics to betray them and their discomfort over not having a choice with the life they were given. Rosalie knew that a time would come when the wolves could choose to quit their wolves and for that she resented them but she could not blame Leah for wanting the same. Given the choice she would have chosen to give up her vampire life too.

"But why now?"

"I'd like to sign u for community classes in the fall and I'd like to be able to do that fully human instead of just half."

Jacob only nodded. It still amazed both of them at how linked they had become.

As his second in command, Leah felt the need to always be around him as much in the same way Jared had done with Sam. And despite the differences in gender, since their talk in the woods about Leah's female stuff, Jacob no longer got uncomfortable with it.

"I still don't get you girls," Jacob said shaking his head, "You complain when it's that time of the month and you're miserable so you'd think you'd be happy with this whole wolf thing since it stopped.

"It's not about being miserable or happy. It's what's human. Before this happened I'd been dealing with my period for four years, since I was thirteen so I knew what to expect and I knew it would be something I had to deal with my whole life. You know how bad it got for me when it suddenly stopped. I thought I was pregnant. Can you imagine how bad that would have been had that actually been the case with Sam imprinting on Emily? And then to freak out because I wasn't pregnant and that it was this whole wolf thing, it's one of the worst things I've been through. I'm not in this forever the way you are, Jacob. I'm ready for things to pick up again biologically so it no longer confuses me. I'm ready for a normal life."

Jacob could understand that.

Now that the threats were over and the reservation was safe there was no reason for most of them to continue on with their wolf selves. The only exceptions were Quil, who's imprint was only three years old and himself since his imprint would live as long as Edward, the Cullen's and the half human-half vampire, Nahuel, that they had met but with Quil, once Claire reached sixteen or seventeen he would give up his wolf as well. Jacob's lifespan had become more vampire-like in nature due to his imprinting. His life was immortally connected to theirs if Renesmee chose to still have him around.

"You know Seth won't want to give up this life," said Jacob, "He likes being a wolf too much. You really okay with living life without your brother?"

"We're not twins, Jacob."

"Yeah but you guys share the pack mind. That goes closer than any normal set of twins."

"I'm more than ready to have my mind back, other than Edward but he's learned to stay out of my head."

"He's the lucky one," Jacob teased, "but are you seriously ready to hand over your post to Seth? Embry may be my third but considering we still have no idea who his dad is, he can't be the one up for a promotion so if you leave the position will go back to Seth."

"What do you mean back to Seth?"

"Well he did run on my right flank before you showed up. You really want him to take over?"

Leah stopped walking making Jacob stop too. They were getting close to Sam's territory anyways and Leah wasn't ready to cross it just yet. Renesmee bounded back and into Jacob's arms. She placed a hand on his face.

"You go ahead but not too high okay? Your parents would probably kill me."

Renesmee smiled and leaped from Jacob into a nearby tree. Jacob smiled at her as he watched his little spider monkey climb before turning his attention back to Leah.

"Why are you trying to talk me out of this?" Leah finally asked. "It only took a couple of weeks before Paul decided he was ready to follow Rachel to Portland. Why can't you just let me go?"

Jacob tried to stifle a laugh, "I'm sorry, Leah," he said calming himself down. "You do have my blessing. If what you want is to be one hundred percent human then I'm all for it. You more than anyone deserve it."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Guess I'm just gonna miss having you as my number two that's all." Leah gave Jacob a look, "I'm serious. I've kind of gotten used to having you around. Once you got away from Sam it became easier on all of us. Things got better. Besides, with you not part of the pack, who else am I gonna pick on?"

"Well you've still got my brother. By all means give him a hard time."

Jacob smiled, "Thanks for the permission."

"Still though, this is it for me, Jacob. Seth can take my spot and he'll make a good second. I don't give my brother enough credit but he no longer needs a babysitter. He can hold his own without me."

Jacob nodded, "The kids' grown up. Still he's not you."

"No he's definitely not," Leah said with pride. "Really though Jacob, can I ask at least one thing from you?"

"Yeah name it."

"Take care of my brother. He looks up to you so if Seth is going to continue being a part of this pack, I want to make sure he's being looked after."

"I thought you said he didn't need a babysitter."

"He doesn't but since I'm no longer going to be around you're the closest thing he has to a brother and you're really the only one I trust."

Jacob nodded, "I'll look after him, you have my word."

"Thanks."

The two remained silent for a little bit until Leah broke it due to the discomfort.

"So what do you say to getting the kid and getting out of here?"

Jacob looked up where he could see Nessie slowly approaching a crow on a branch. He remembered seeing a young black bear cub doing that once.

Jacob waited until Renesmee reached out and touched the crow gently petting it. The crow wasn't sure whether to be interested or scared. Nessie didn't smell like traditional vampires and animals normally didn't run at the sight of her the way they often did with her vampire family.

Seemingly having decided that he was confused enough, the crow took off.

"Hey Nessie," Jacob called out, "You ready to go?"

The little girl bounded down from the branch and into his arms. She reached up to touch his face.

"Yeah Nessie, we're going to go see your mom and dad now."

Nessie looked up at Leah and reached across to her. Leah let herself feel Renesmee's touch and then answered.

"Yeah I'm gonna be human from now on which means you have to keep an eye on Jacob for me okay?"

Renesmee smiled and nodded, "Okay," Renesmee answered outloud.

"Come on," said Jacob, "Let's go home."

Renesmee got out of Jacob's arms and took his left hand while Leah stood and walked on his right flank one last time.